


I'll Never Tell

by Nicnac



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-11
Updated: 2013-01-11
Packaged: 2017-11-25 02:37:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/634231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicnac/pseuds/Nicnac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur keeps Merlin's secret... No, not *that* one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Never Tell

The first time Arthur saw Merlin carrying a dress around, he didn’t really think much of it. He teased Merlin about it, of course, because he never missed an opportunity to do so, and the man was carrying a dress, for God’s sake, but he didn’t mean anything by it.

Over time, though, Arthur noticed things about Merlin. Strange, not quite normal things. Like the way that, though Merlin knew all about Arthur and Guinevere’s growing love for each other, Merlin never divulged any such failed – for there was no doubt in Arthur’s mind that if Merlin was involved then it would end in failure – attempts to win over some girl that had caught his eye. Or how close Merlin and his old friend Will had seemed – including Will’s strange jealousy over Arthur’s relationship with Merlin – and how quickly Merlin and Gwaine had become very close as well. Or Merlin’s mysterious habit of disappearing to the “tavern” for days at a time, despite the fact that the one time Arthur had actually gone to the tavern to find Merlin himself, no one there had appeared to have the slightest clue of who Arthur was talking about. So by the second time Arthur had stumbled across Merlin digging through women’s clothes, Arthur was all but sure that is initial joking suspicions had been correct. And when he saw Gaius’s equally skeptical look when Guinevere confessed her story about Merlin going to meet a _girl,_ Arthur took that as a final confirmation.

Really, it did neatly explain why Merlin had been so vehement about the evils of magic, to the point that he was even willing to allow Mordred to die in order to keep it out of Camelot, but at the same time sympathetic to the plight of those who followed the Old Religion. Of course someone with the… unusual sort of preferences that Merlin had would understand the plight of those who wanted to be accepted despite participating in socially unacceptable practices. And to think his sympathies and other strange behaviors had had Arthur half-suspecting Merlin of being a sorcerer!

Well, Arthur wouldn’t say anything. After all, he had already decided to remain willfully blind if Merlin _did_ turn out to have magic, so staying quiet about this matter would be no great burden. Arthur had meant it, though he had been teasing at the time, when he said the as long as Merlin’s work was done, then what he did in his free time was his own business.

“So, why don’t you tell us all about her… and why you’re walking with a limp.”

As long as Arthur could still tease him about it. 


End file.
